1. Field of the Invention
The present invention relates to a recording-medium loading apparatus and, more particularly, to a recording-medium loading apparatus to which a recording medium can be attached by a smooth operation.
2. Description of the Related Art
As a recording medium for recording information such as a database or software, a disc-like recording medium reproduced by a laser pickup of an optical disc apparatus is used. Optical discs on the market are classified into the following three types.
1) A "read only type" disc such as a CD (compact disc) or a CD-ROM which is exclusive for reading information recorded on the disc. PA1 2) A "writable type" disc such as a recordable disc (CD-R) which is writable only once. PA1 3) A "rewritable type" disc such as a phase change disc (PD, CD-RW) which can be rewritten many times. PA1 a tray movable between an exchanging position at which the recording medium is removed or inserted and a loaded position at which a recording or reproducing operation is performed on the recording medium; PA1 a holder holding the recording medium; and PA1 a support member movably supporting the holder so that the holder is movable between an accommodating position at which the holder is accommodated in the tray and an insertion/ejection position at which the holder is separated from the tray, PA1 wherein the holder is movable to the insertion/ejection position when the tray is moved to the exchanging position, and the holder is held at the accommodating position during a process for moving the tray to the loaded position. PA1 a turntable provided on the tray so as to rotate the disc-like recording medium; and PA1 a damper provided on the support member so as to attach the disc-like recording medium to the turntable when the holder is moved to the accommodating position.
A conventional optical disc apparatus is exclusive for each of the discs of the above-mentioned types 1) to 3). Accordingly, if one uses different types of discs, a plurality of optical disc apparatus are needed. In order to eliminate such inconvenience, a disc apparatus in which different types of optical discs can be attached on the same tray has been developed. As such a conventional disc apparatus to which different discs can be loaded, there is an apparatus in which a CD-ROM and a disc cartridge in which a PD is accommodated can be attached on the same tray.
FIG. 1 is a perspective view of a conventional apparatus to which a CD-ROM or a disc cartridge can be loaded.
As shown in FIG. 1, a turntable 2 on which a disc is clamped and an optical pickup 3 are provided on a chassis 1. A tray 4 is slidably provided on the chassis 1. A CD-ROM or a disc cartridge (not shown in the figure) is placed on the tray 4. The tray 4 has a dual structure which comprises an inner tray 4a on which the CD-ROM is placed and an outer tray 4b on which the disc cartridge is placed. The inner tray 4a is provided inside the outer tray 4b so that the inner tray 4a is movable up and down relative to the outer tray 4b.
When loading the disc cartridge, the disc cartridge is placed on the inner tray 4a. At this time, the inner tray 4a serves as a placing part. Since the disc cartridge is inserted inside the outer tray 4b without a play therebetween, a notch 4c is provided on a front side of the inner tray 4a. When the disc cartridge is removed from the tray 4, a front side of the disc cartridge is lifted from the inner tray 4a by inserting a finger into the notch 4c from under side of the tray 4. Then, the part of the disc cartridge upwardly protruding from the tray 4 is held so as to remove the disc cartridge from the outer tray 4b.
The inner tray 4a comprises a small diameter disc placing part 4a1 on which a disc having a diameter of 8 cm is placed and a large diameter disc placing part 4a2 on which a disc having a diameter of 12 cm is placed. The inner tray 4a is normally located at a position at which the CD-ROM is supported. However, the inner tray 4a is mounted so at to be moved downwardly when the disc cartridge is attached.
A support plate 5 is mounted above the tray 4 so that the support plate 5 covers a space above the chassis 1. A shutter opening lever 6 is supported on a bottom surface of the support plate 5 so a to open a shutter of the disc cartridge.
In the conventional apparatus as constructed above, when removing the cartridge, there is a problem in that an operation for removing the cartridge is inconvenient since the cartridge must be lifted by inserting a finger into the notch 4c from under side of the tray 4.
FIGS. 2A and 2B are cross-sectional views of the conventional apparatus for showing an interior of the apparatus when a disc cartridge is loaded. FIGS. 3A and 3B are cross-sectional views of the conventional apparatus for showing an interior of the apparatus when a disc is loaded.
As shown in FIGS. 2A and 2B, in the conventional apparatus, when a disc cartridge 8 in which a disc 7 is accommodated is placed on the inner tray 4, the disc 7 is clamped on a turntable 2 by a damper 9 being moved downwardly and the turntable 2 and a turntable drive motor 10 being moved upwardly. Accordingly, in the conventional apparatus, a space S1 for moving the damper 9 up and down and a space S2 for moving the turntable 2 up and down must be provided. This becomes a factor for preventing a thickness of the apparatus from being reduced.
In a portable computer such as a notebook type personal computer, there is a tendency to incorporate a disc apparatus using a CD-ROM or a disc cartridge as a recording medium as a standard option. Accordingly, it is desired to reduce a thickness of such a disc apparatus.